Whiz Kids end year with 'Spring Fling' celebration in Oklahoma City

Children involved with Whiz Kids ride on a boat during the faith-based program’s recent “Spring Fling” end-of-year celebration at Crystal Lake in Oklahoma City. Photo by Carla Hinton, The Oklahoman

“To continue this work, we just need every level of support,” Webb said.

“We need to be focusing on kingdom work, and this is kingdom work.”

Getting children outdoors

Larry Bross, executive director of City Care, said he’s particularly proud of the things City Care has been able to accomplish at Crystal Lake.

Ever since his nonprofit organization agreed to clean up Crystal Lake about 10 years ago, the 87-acre Oklahoma City public lake has been the site for many youth and family-friendly activities, he said.

Bross said the lake is owned by the city, and the state Wildlife Department keeps it stocked with fish. He said City Care made about $178,000 in improvements for the opportunity to close the lake for events like the Whiz Kids “Spring Fling.” In addition to that annual event, City Care also hosts a family expo at the lake.

And for the past two years, the lake has been used as a location for summer day camps for many Whiz Kids students from across the metro.

“We saw a chance to get these kids out of their neighborhoods and outdoors,” Bross said.

He said between 200 and 300 children are expected to attend the summer camp activities, and community partners and sponsors are still being sought.

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Carla Hinton, an Oklahoma City native, joined The Oklahoman in 1986 as a National Society of Newspaper Editors minority intern. She began reporting full-time for The Oklahoman two years later and has served as a beat writer covering a wide...